What Happens in GreenHill High
by Siameze
Summary: A normal day at GHHS consists of Amy stalking me, Knuckles being a tightwad, Silver accusing me of triggering the apocalypse, Jet being an ass, and Blaze wanting to beat me up. But wait, who is this new guy with creepy, red eyes? AU, slash
1. Entry 1

___A/N - If you couldn't tell from the summary, the slash pairing is Sonadow. (Eventually, at least). ^^_

* * *

_~Sunday, March 6_

I swear, Knuckles is such a knucklehead sometimes. Lately he keeps getting sore about me "babbling all my problems" to him every chance I get. I can't even begin to fathom how much bull exists in that statement. First of all—since when did I have these so-called "problems" that I was accused of babbling? Other than normal, everyday stress that comes from being a junior, there really isn't much else I can think of.

No tragic family deaths, no child abuse, no social isolation, no alcohol or drug addiction, no relationship heartaches, not even sinking grades on the Titantic-level. In fact, last time I checked, my recent test scores are guaranteed to earn me straight Bs.

If anything, I dump all the excitement, success, and adventure in my life on that guy. It can't get any more awesome than that.

Besides, what other purposes do best friends serve?

If he wants to shut me out, fine. It's not like I don't have other attentive and loyal friends who'll listen to every word I say.

* * *

_~Later_

…Maybe I should make a list first. Just to be safe.

Okay, how about that guy in my english class, Silver? He's a bit weird, though.

Scratch that—I sometimes wonder why he hasn't been sent off to the "happy farm with nice people in white coats" yet. He claims he's naturally physic, and can see stuff in the future (But I'll give him credit for not playing the "I see dead people" card).

The creepy thing is, he can actually kind of prove it by spoiling the end of every class book we've been assigned so far. And unless he spent his entire summer reading Shakespeare, Dickens, Homer, and other names that I don't care enough to remember, he might really be physic.

Physic or not, he's definitely a no. Blaze might beat me up or something.

There's always those two—I think their names were Vector and Espio? They hang around near the back row of my history class. But then, Vector's never going to stop talking about computers, and Espio's pretty cool and all, but really quiet. I swear, he mysteriously disappears after you talk to him for a while. I hadn't even noticed I was standing in the hallway talking to myself for who-knows-how-long.

And not to mention their fashion sense! In a week I can see myself wearing chains and leather cuffs and bright sneakers. The mental image…it's too much to bear.

Then, I guess, that leaves me with Amy.

Oh god, no. I'm not that desperate.

There's got to be loads of others. I've just got to think harder.

* * *

_~Later_

Uh.

I think I broke my brain.

I don't even…

How is it possible that I, the number one, record-breaking track star of the freaking state, cannot find anyone to hang out with on a weekend? It's insanity! The world is mocking me, I'm sure of it! Or maybe it's just a coincidence. Maybe it just happens that the entire school population is busy—tap-dancing. Yeah, that's got to be how it is. Tap-dancing became a craze overnight without me noticing, and now everyone's signing up for lessons.

Well, shit.

* * *

_~Later_

In the end, I wasn't in the mood to see that knucklehead's smirk on Monday. And so, on a sudden impulse to want to prove myself, I drove all the way to Tails' house. All 28 miles. I was even running low on gas money.

Anyways, he's a great kid, that Tails. When I first met him, he was still at that orphanage center, waiting to be adopted. I used to live within walking distance of that place, and I visited him every chance I got. He was always happy to see me, and I'm certain it wouldn't make a difference now that he's finally found a family.

"Sonic, is that you?" Tails' eyes nearly fell out their sockets when he opened the door. I grinned like mad and ruffled his blond hair a bit. "How are you doing, little bro? Just thought I'd drop by for a quick visit." A second figure came running towards me, squealing. "Hi there Cream, are your parents home?" I had to kneel down to meet them face-to-face, but it was easier than last time, which means they've grown quite a bit.

"Daddy's out shopping, but Mommy's here." She replied in that sweet, innocent tone of hers, "Are you going play with us, Mr. Sonic?"

"You bet! But not too long, alright?" Mom might not see the small note I left on the fridge and start having a heart attack, I added mentally.

After helping ourselves to some homemade cookies, a round of flower picking in the backyard, and a tour of impressive mini models of wooden planes (Tails' treat), we finally settled down and started talking.

Most of the talking was between me and Tails. Cream had sat on the floor nearby stringing together flower necklaces, humming softy.

"What's it like, Sonic?" He asked me, his blue eyes barely able to contain his curiosity.

"What's what like?"

"You know. High school. It's just that I heard—"

I sighed. The rate at which rumors poison children's minds is ridiculous. "Listen to me, Tails. Bullies shaped like boulders will _not_ stuff you in lockers. Or give you wedgies using a flag pole. Or flip you upside-down and steal your lunch money."

I guess my dead-panned expression wasn't convincing enough, because he the next thing he said was, "But I really like Science and engineering...and that would make me nerdy…"

"No, Tails. Labels are stupid and don't account for anything. Just like statistics." Well, it was true. Did you know that 97% of statistics are a bunch of crap? (Not including this one.)

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "But they exist, don't they?"

"Yeah…" I answered slowly. I didn't like where this was heading.

"And you can't avoid them. You just have to live through it, right?"

"Yes." I said, except it sounded like the word got stuck in my throat on its way out.

"Then what would people at your school consider you to be?"

I'll admit, I kind of just…stared at him for a few seconds in bewilderment. With Tails, things tend to backfire as a result of his freakishly bright mind.

"A jock with a hero complex, I guess." I reached over to stuff my face with the last cookie. "'M pretty athletic 'n all." Tails raised his eyebrows in a silent question. I paused to swallow, before continuing, "Didn't I tell you? I had this crazy reputation in freshmen year of being everybody's 'savior.' You wouldn't believe how many problems our school had before I came along. There was cheating, bribing, stealing, damaged property, dishonestly, corruption—even among the staff! I really shouldn't be taking all the credit, though. Knuckles bailed me out in a couple of tight situations, and even Amy, Vector, Espio, Blaze, and that sci-fi Canadian dude chipped in to help." I yawned loudly, purposely making it seem like it wasn't a big deal. When I turned around, I almost burst out laughing at Tails' face.

"No way! You never explained it in that much detail before!" He said, still gaping in amazement. "You have to tell me more! And who was the Canadian? Was he a robot?" My chest started to hurt, and by the time he got to the robot part, I was choking on snorts and giggles. "I'm afraid that Silver isn't a robot, Tails. He's got physic powers, sorry to disappoint." That wasn't a lie, according to Silver himself.

It turned out the mention of physic powers made the kid even more enthusiastic. I wouldn't be surprised if I found an entire box full of comic books stashed away in his room.

I glanced at my watch. 4:13pm. I've already been here for two hours, but that puppy-dog stare was too much, and I had no choice but to give in to his pleads.

It wouldn't hurt, I figured.

* * *

_~Much later_

Shit, shit, shit. Curse my lack of immunity to puppy-dog eyes. Curse the stupid car for running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Curse my parents for not giving me a higher allowance to pay for gas. Curse my math teacher for giving me a shitload of homework. Curse my putrid, rotten, shitty luck that hadn't been shitty until now.

Ugh. It's past midnight, and I still haven't finished these math problems. On top of that, my stomach is practically eating itself from not digesting tonight's dinner yet. I screwed up, I really did. I got carried away telling stories to Tails and Cream, and before long the sky was already dark. It's great that they're having pleasant dreams of foiling the villain's evil plan to give out *gasp* homework on Fridays right now, but _c'mon_…

Why can't those teachers go and find_** x**_ on their own? Why do they have to force their students to do it?

* * *

_~2 Minutes later_

You know what? Screw the educational system. I'm circling _**x**_ on the diagram.

* * *

_TBC?_

_To be clear, the story itself is kind of composed of journal entries. It's up to you to decide if they're mental or actual entries. Reviews, anyone?_


	2. Entry 2

_A/N: Changed up the title a bit, sorry about that. ^^_

_~Monday, March 7_

Woah. I had the weirdest dream last night. I only remember bits and pieces, though, like how I was chasing after this huge yellow submarine, and then ending up in this maze full of trees that were somehow walking around. And every time I bumped into one of them, the patterns on the trunk would morph into an angry face, so logically I laughed it. I mean, what kind of tree _does _that? Anyway, the entire time I was navigating through the maze, my shoulders ached from lugging a bag full of—it must've been a dozen watermelons to be that heavy.

I would have then floated away on a nice, fluffy cloud, if it weren't for that irritating ringing noise I kept hearing...

* * *

_~Later_

ASDFGHJKL

What in the world did I just

HOLY…

* * *

_~2 Minutes later_

Oh my god.

I just realized…_that wasn't a dream_. That yellow submarine was my bus, which I missed because I chucked my alarm clock out the window this morning. The maze were the hallways of my school, those trees with angry faces were freaking _students_ (that I freaking laughed at), and that thing I was carrying on my shoulder was definetly _not _filled with watermelons.

Note to self: SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAUSES DELUSIONAL BRAIN WHICH DISTORTS REALITY TO THE 18TH DIMENSION.

...

Wait a minute, if all that stuff earlier was school-related, then that means…that last part about the loud ringing must've been...

...must've been...

* * *

_~Later_

I had a pretty good hunch on what I looked like when I practically ripped off the door to my first period classroom. It would safe to assume that my eyes were wild and bloodshot, my hair resembled a crow's nest, my face was pale and dripping with sweat, and my chest was heaving like a broken vacuum cleaner.

Haha…I must've been the most beautiful creature on earth, because every single head turned to stare at me.

(One even had to nerve to take out a phone and snap a shot. If that appears in the yearbook, that kid and his family are _dead_.)

In fact, the sheer amount of beauty I displayed must've _overwhelmed_ the teacher, because the next thing I knew, I was being dragged by the collar of my shirt (which was wrinkled and soaked in sweat) out of the room for a little "talk."

Oh, fun times.

* * *

_~Later_

So I got detention. Today and tomorrow during lunch. For rudely interrupting the class and being late. And I have no excuse, since I'm the fastest track runner in the state. Oh, and also for damaging school property.

(I would bet my life savings that the door was in perfect condition.)

And you know what's worst than getting lunch detention when you're starving from not eating breakfast this morning and dinner from the night before? Having to go back into the same classroom and endure a bunch of badly covered up giggles for the rest of the period.

* * *

_~Later_

But I hate to admit—it could have been worse. Not by much, but I seriously might start banging my head on my desk for the next 30 minutes if Knuckles wasn't sitting next to me.

All he had to do to make them stop snickering was glare while making cracking noises with his knuckles. Thank heavens for that guy and his massive hands. Did I mention he was the champion of the boxing team for 3 years in a row?

Ah...this must a sign that he forgot all about being a prick on Friday. Man, I sure as heck missed blabbering stuff about myself to that guy.

* * *

_~2 Minutes later_

I might have started zoning out again as the teacher resumed her lesson on the PowerPoint. I could barely catch was she was saying…something about how species live to reproduce because they've got a naturally favorable trait or something.

Well that made my mind wander off to Silver...somehow. (Don't ask me how I made that connection.)

Does this mean he got naturally selected to have white hair by the snowy environment in Canada? But here it doesn't snow too often, so does that mean he's not going to survive to reproduce? Pfft, yeah right. He obviously bleached his hair. Darwin's got nothing on him.

While I was occupied daydreaming about Silver getting chased by a hawk (that looked suspiciously like Jet) and shouting "I should have stayed in Canadaaaa!" as he was being carried off into the distance, someone nudged my arm.

I turned to see Knuckles impatiently holding a folded piece of paper towards me.

I took it inconspicuously, and unfolded it in my lap.

'_Explain. Now.'_ It read in bulky letters. I almost chuckled out loud at his straight-forwardness.

Wasting no time, I quickly wrote underneath,

_'Was up all nite doing hw. Missed bus. Kept c-ing trees from sleep deprivation. =D'_

A few seconds later, I tossed the note back kind of not inconspicuously. He looked peeved at this, and I couldn't help but grin in return.

He looked even more peeved after he read my note, if that was even possible.

I got nudged extra hard on the same spot on my arm. I rubbed it as I read his reply,

_'What's this about trees? And we didn't have that much homework to do you moron.'_

There wasn't enough space left on the paper to explain the trees, so I simply wrote,

_'Believe it or not, this was all inderectly ur fault. =_=;'_

If he hadn't refused to hang out with me, I would have never gone to Tails' house. Then I wouldn't have ran out of gas money or gotten home late with a pile of homework waiting on my desk. Then I wouldn't have slept late, and woken up delusional. Need I go on with the tales of despair?

The next note came faster than expected:

'_You know what? I don't even want to know._

_P.S. – You spelled "indirectly" wrong.'_

I felt no need to reply to that. Really. Has he ever noticed that spelling correctly doesn't apply to note-passing? Like, ever?

And that's how we both agreed to stop passing notes and start _taking_ notes having to do with the lesson.

Well, I don't know about Knuckles, but I'd rather doodle comics of the teacher getting hit by random falling Yamaha pianos.

It's not like I'm still bitter about the detention thing.

Nope, not bitter at all.

* * *

_~Later_

At long last, the bell that dismissed first period rang. I was out of there like a bullet, shooting through at least a dozen people before their brain could process "WTF?"

I waited around the corner for Knuckles to catch up. It seemed like he had something on his mind.

"Hey, Knux! What's up?" I greeted as he passed.

To that, he gave a small acknowledging grunt. "I assume that you haven't heard of the new kid that arrived this morning?" I think he glanced in my direction to judge my reaction, only to find me hand-combing knots out of my hair without success.

"Sorry, didn't catch that. What'd you say? Something about a new kid in town?"

"Yeah. There are already rumors flying around about him, and we haven't even gotten through second period yet. This guy is very…strange."

I'll admit it _is_ strange if rumors are circulating so fast, fast enough to even reach Knuckles, the most anti-gossip guy I know. We've had plenty of students transfer to GreenHill over the last 3 years I've been here, too.

"Why? Have you seen what he looks like?"

"No. But I have a general idea from what people have been saying about him."

I urged him to tell me more, but he wouldn't budge. He even ignored all 18 of my 'please's.

That's Knuckles for you. Stubborn like a mule naturally, stubborn like your mother-in-law when it comes to spreading stories that aren't 100% truthful.

* * *

_~Later_

Amy and her friends are following me as I'm heading to History. With video cameras.

I don't think I ever ran so fast in my life. And I'm sure that the people I knocked down on the floor agree with me.

* * *

_~Later_

Turns out Knuckles was right about the rumors. (I'm beginning to doubt whether he even has the capacity to lie.)

At least my embarrassing blunder this morning didn't get any mention at all. Everyone's too into the new guy with the dark and mysterious back-story. Ugh. Like that's ever the case in real life.

Even if some of the things I hear are kind of sort of interesting.

Whoops, got to run. They're back, and it looks like they've multiplied in persons _and_ digital equipment.

* * *

_~Later_

Kill me. KILL. ME.

Please, somebody, before I shrivel up and die from boredom. Lunch detention sucks so badly it's not even funny.

God, I'm so bored I could cry. Tears of angst. (Don't even ask what that would look like, because I wouldn't know and frankly I wouldn't give a shit as of this moment). Man, feels like I've been stuck here staring at empty space for _hours_. There's no way I'll be able to survive another session tommorrow!

I'm so bored, it's depressing me. And guess what? Being depressed is really, _really _boring.

...

It's so boring and depressing that I don't even have the energy to stop that annoying freshman behind me from shooting spitballs at my head.

Must be entertaining as hell. The asshole.

_

* * *

_

_~2 Minutes later_

What I would wish for if a genie offered me 3 wishes right now:

1. For a year-supply of hair products that can remove balls of spit instantly.

2. For that freshmen to go to hell and have spitballs shoved up his ass sideways for all eternity.

3. FOR THIS LUNCH DETENTION TO END ALREADY, GOD DAMMIT I'M SO HUNGRY AND BORED! AND HUNGRY!

* * *

_~Much later_

So I found out from Vector that the new guy's name, apparently, is Shadow. His parents must have been sailing the same boat as Knuckles' when they named their child.

I can see how that can also contribute to the 'dark and mysterious' part, but that's just overanalyzing a name to death.

And that's all the information I heard that was confirmed to be fact. The rest were all rumors, ranging from probable to ridiculous to batshit _retarded_.

I seriously doubt that this Shadow guy was some lab experiment created with DNA from freaking aliens in a freaking spaceship. Seriously, what the hell? Are these people high on something?

I feel like pulling a Knuckles so I guess I won't mention anything else for today.

* * *

_~Later_

It just occured to me. How the hell did Amy get away with bringing all that stuff to school?

Shouldn't administrators be like, having a seizure over it?

* * *

_~Later_

It turns out one did.

Um. Sorry I asked.

* * *

_TBC?_

_And now for some review replies! XD_

_sonicfan8672 - Thanks! I'm glad you think so. I have the same problem with my math teacher, so that's why I put it in there. ^^_

_Silver4Eva - Looks like we have a Silver fan! Yay! I got that Canadian concept from the shape of his hair-doesn't it look like a maple leaf?_

_Soul The Catt - Your comments make me so happy! Thank you! Heh, yeah, Sonic's as normal as a jock with a hero-complex can be._


	3. Entry 3

_A/N: Reread chapter 1, and I noticed I kind of screwed up Sonic's grade level. He's actually a junior (why I wrote sophomore I have no idea), and that's actually kind of important to the timeline. So please, keep that in mind as you read. ^^;_

* * *

_~Tuesday, March 8_

When I got off the bus this morning, my hair was still wet from the orange juice my mom poured on me an hour before I was suppose to wake up. Apparently, she found pieces of my alarm clock scattered around the driveway when she came home yesterday from work. And let me tell you, she was _not_ a happy camper. And I sure as hell wasn't happy when I nearly shit myself because of the nuclear juice bombing at 5:30am in the freaking morning.

Man, I feel for those people in Pearl Harbor. I really do.

She made me wash all the sheets too. That's the reason for the "hour-early" thing, which stinks—in a tangy, citrus-like way. Freaking orange juice. I still don't get why she didn't just use water instead, like in the movies. It would have had the same effect, and we wouldn't be having a severe lack of vitamin C in our house.

"Hey, man, you smell kind of fruity." The entire back row of the bus started snickering.

Gee, thanks mom. I get it now.

"Say, are you wearing perfume?" More giggles.

If I wasn't such an amazing, kick-ass nice guy, I would have punched them so hard that their jaws landed in Neptune and the rest of them landed in Pluto. And the aliens would have a ball gathering their parts up and displaying them in their museums.

Do these ungrateful jerks even realize how bad they'd have it here if it weren't for me? They'd have their mystery soup explode in their face, fountains that squirt out flushed toilet water, and _no cell phone signals _everyday.

Two words: Freshman year. Stereotypically the worst year ever in a teenager's life, what with the torturous curriculum, walking boulders AKA seniors, and unnecessary drama. And what did 15-year-old me have to say to that? Probably something weird and cheesy, like "This is going to be a piece of caaaake!" And if I really wanted to be honest with myself, I may have included a couple of thumbs up and blinding smiles along the way. But whatever, it's not like anyone minded those things.

I probably saved all their siblings, mothers, fathers, and dogs at least twice, and yet I only get respect from the juniors and seniors who were actually there to see my legacy of awesomeness.

Hero-days are so nostalgic… I feel kind of sad now that I'm retired.

* * *

_~Later_

I needed a way to distract myself, so I made a couple of random lists I'll toss in the trash at the end of the day.

What I like best about this school:

1. The chilidogs they serve at lunch.

2. Those hard-core fans of mine who occasionally ask me for an autograph (that was pretty sweet, and right after I got off the bus, too.)

3. Did I mention the chilidogs?

What I don't like about this school:

1. They're always serving chilidogs when I'm having lunch detention.

2. The science teachers. (And it's not even the current one, it's that egg-shaped one I had freshmen year who still lurks in the hallways.)

3. The fact that the board of education rejected my restraining order against Amy. Again. ("She's just a love-sick girl, have a heart" my _ass_.)

4. Silver's hair. I don't know, okay? It just bothers me.

* * *

_~Later_

I finally got Knuckles to spill everything he knows about Shadow. It wasn't easy, though. I have to say, it took a combination of my impressive skills of persuasion and stealth.

"Soooo, Knuckles, my good ol' buddy n' pal, I was wondering if—"

"No."

"What! But you didn't even hear my question yet!"

"Whenever you start off a sentence like that, I just know that you're going to ask me to do something I'll morbidly regret." He countered my puppy-dog eyes with a glare.

"…please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"..._N__o_." Okay, so he was in every way, shape, and form immune. Tough cracker, but luckily I still had a trick up my sleeve, just in case...

"I'll buy you grape soda at lunch today."

"Make it the entire month and you've got a deal."

"Awesome!" We high-fived and went on our merry ways.

* * *

_~Later_

Wait a minute. _Please_ tell me I did not just agree to pay $1.50 a day for the next three weeks.

…

Shit, Knuckles, you wallet-abuser!

* * *

_~Later_

Well, according to my "ol' buddy 'n pal" Knuckles, Shadow supposedly has the same lunch period as us, except he never eats in the cafeteria. So he goes to the rooftop at lunch everyday. Big flippin' woop. That rumor's been circulating all week, along with a billion others. But it's probably true Knuckles being the source.

I don't understand why no one ever thought of the brilliant idea of talking to the freaking guy in the first place. That alone would cut the number of rumors in half, especially the stupid ones you could tell was the result of somebody's over-active imagination and/or drug use.

How come no one has reported him skipping lunch and hanging out on the roof? It's almost as if people are afraid of him for no apparent reason. The thought of that injustice pissed me off for a second. Kind of reminds me of that time back then, in 6th grade when I – never mind, it's not important.

I also asked if Shadow was meeting with anyone during his skipping sessions. Which, if he did, would explain _a lot_. I wouldn't blame the guy if he was trying to be romantic. But that idea flew out the window much like my alarm clock when Knuckles said, "No, he goes alone."

And I refuse to admit that I find any of that intriguing.

* * *

_~Later_

I really don't.

* * *

_~Later_

So I was just minding my own business, walking towards English class like I always do. It was a regular situation that seriously couldn't get any more regular.

And I was fine with that. After all, regular was good. Regular was something my guidance counselor suggested that I should have more of. Or, the direct quote, if I recall correctly, was "I'm telling ya, get an overdose of it, because you are an average kid with an _extremely_ abnormal life. Or in a language you youngsters should understand—this shit shouldn't be happening to you. So don't provoke it, for fuck's sake."

I wonder if it's bad that I had this conversation five times in freshman year. Every month, actually.

So anyways, I was high on "regularity" on my way to English class. I was still high when I opened the door, and for all about three seconds, things remained that way. Yep.

Until I was tackled to the ground by a staggering mass of twenty students, give or take a few. The one that smelled suspiciously of maple syrup dragged me to a desk, and another one from behind used freaking ipod wire to tie me in place. Then they all crowded around me.

My mind immediately screamed, _ZOMG RAAAPE!_

"Holy mother of _shit_! Rape! I'm being raped, somebody help me!" Or maybe that wasn't really in my mind…whatever. There were more important things at hand, like say—spazzing madly while frantically hopping around in a tied-to-a-chair-state.

"Woah, woah! Calm the heck down, Sonic!" one of them demanded, "There's more than one of us here."

I stopped screaming and looked up at my classmates.

A pause. "You're right." I replied calmly.

A heartbeat later, I burst into another round of screaming, "It's a gang rape! Holy shit, holy shit! Anything but that!" I tried struggling against the wire but it wouldn't loosen. So logically I moved on to Plan B, which is to continue spazzing.

(…Crap. It's not very effective.)

Then they tried coaxing me into "taking a chill pill" again, which is just freaking insulting because I have every right to scream until all the windows in this district shatter.

Somewhere in the back of the crowd, I heard Blaze utter a loud sigh before walking over to switch off the light. Everyone quieted down, including me (out of natural reflex and not fear, of course).

The maple syrup guy fished a cell phone out of his pocket and shined it on my face. When the stars in front of my eyes stopped dancing, I managed to recognize him. "Silver? _You're_ the maple syrup dude? Aw, crap – how did I not see this coming?" I would have smacked my forehead if my hands weren't tied up.

He scoffed and crossed his arms. "You're telling me? At least I don't smell like fruit salad."

"That," I said through gritted teeth, "is another matter that should never be mentioned in my presence."

He held the phone closer to my face. He looked at me sternly, while behind him Blaze rolled her eyes. "Alright, then, Sonic. The reason why we've chosen to – "

"Kidnap me against my will? 'Cause you know you could have called and scheduled an appointment first…"

" – put you in that unholy state is for interrogation. We need you to answer some of our questions." One girl handed him a sheet of paper, and everyone else seemed to be waiting for my response.

I blinked, not quite getting the inside joke. "You want me to…give you answers?"

Silver shrugged. "Well, if you want to put it that way, yes."

"But then," I said slowly, "I don't see the point, though, of doing this. I'm not the smartest kid in this class, you realize that, right? If you're really desperate for answers to the homework I could always recommend – "

"No, Sonic! That's not what we meant!" Everyone started shouting and making exasperated groans. Well excuse _me_, Captain Not-Obvious.

"Well then, shit! I give up! What do you guys want from me? Come on, throw me a bone here, because I have no clue what's going on! And stop flashing that across my face!" I snapped at that annoying device in Silver's hand.

Blaze walked over and stood besides Silver. "Didn't I tell you people like him need direct explanations? Here, I'll handle it." Silver looked a little sheepish as she turned to me. "Silver had a vision last night about you. It was the longest and most vivid he ever had."

My face scrunched up. "Aw, man. You know I'm glad you finally came out of the closet, Silver, but that's kind of disturbing, if you know what I mean."

Silver started choking his lungs out before I even finished the sentence. "What the – what are you – I'm not – _HELL NO_!" He sputtered, despite Blaze's attempts to calm him down. "And even if I was – which I'm not – there's no way in hell I'll be attracted to you, of all people!"

That last part may have offended me a little, but I was too busy laughing my ass off to care. "Sorry, sorry, my bad." I said between chuckles, "You can continue, Blaze."

"Like I said," she said, "Silver had a vision, but not the kind you're thinking about, Sonic. In it, there were many explosions, and the world seemed to be ending. It took place in the near future, and he saw you in the midst of it. He, and everyone else here, believe that you're the one who triggered the apocalypse."

"…huh?" was the first thing that came out.

"So is it true, can you tell us?" asked a random kid on my left.

It took quite the effort for me to come up with a response. "Haha. Very funny, guys. The only way that could happen is if I ate too many chilidogs and accumulated a shit load of gas." After thinking for a moment, I added, "Hm, well actually, that's not entirely impossible. Although I'd feel very sorry for the Earth – that was probably the last thing it expected to die from. The other planets probably bet a fortune on global warming too, heh…sucks for them."

Even now, I still wonder why they all gave me the weirdest expression I always see on fish and then proceeded to kick me out of the room. My backpack came flying out seconds later. What the hell, seriously?

* * *

_~Later_

Goddamn Knuckles. He's been driving me nuts lately with his unnecessary conversations.

So I was in a hurry to leave when the bell rang. He somehow decided Tuesday was a perfect day to be nosy and pull me aside.

"Where are you going? Cafeteria's that way." He jerked a thumb in the opposite direction.

I sighed to myself before replying in fake enthusiasm. "Oh, really? I had no idea! I might have developed an sudden, unexplainable tumor in my brain that causes severe amnesia, sorry about that."

"Well then in that case, you should go see the nurse." It killed me how sincere he sounded.

"Ah, geez, Knuckles! How many times do I have to explain this? That was sarcasm!" I threw my hands up in exasperation.

"How do you expect me to tell the difference!" The door of his locker slammed, and I hope for all of our sakes that the wall did not just tremble slightly.

I shook my head, and muttered a couple of apologies to him. "By the way, I'm not going with you because I have to go to L. D. again."

Seeing the topic-change, his previous brooding expression turned into acute amusement. "You despise it so much you can't even say it?"

"Oh, shut up."

"It's just lunch dete – "

"DON'T SAY IT." I pointed a finger at him in warning.

The people walking by must have noticed a long stretch of silence between us.

Then Knuckles began, "Lu – ".

"NO!" I almost tripped on my own feet attempting to land a kick to his shin.

"Luck. Good luck, that's what I was going say. Idiot." Then he actually had the balls to smirk and walk away.

I hope he chokes on that grape soda he's going to buy with _my_ money.

* * *

_~Later_

Couldn't do it. I swear to god I couldn't.

Tried my best to turn the knob and walk in. Didn't work out. Mental image of wasting the period away by sitting in a desk doing nothing was too horrifying and _way_ too realistic.

Well it's not like they keep track of who's serving detention on what days. At least not in this school.

It's fine. I should be fine. Problem now is, I can't exactly wander aimlessly in these teacher-filled hallways the whole period. If only time would hurry and speed up already. My patience is running thin. Need something to distract me.

Something…interesting.

* * *

_~1 Minute later_

I don't know how why I immediately headed for the stairs that led to the roof. Maybe it's just the thought of having fresh air, or a wide-open space. Or Shadow being there.

I figured I could meet him for the first time, see what he looks like. Maybe even talk a little. Not that I care how he's doing, really. I'm just desperate for a source of entertainment to pass the time, and he just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

* * *

_~Later_

Why in the world did I _do_ that? Shit, man, am I coming down with something? Oh my god, do I really have a brain tumor? It can't be anything else…fucking hell.

How am I suppose to explain why I climbed a bunch of stairs, got to the entrance to the roof, slid the door open a crack, and then…just remained glued to the same spot for like, fifteen whole minutes without going in?

There was fresh air (check), a wide-open space (check), a couple of machines and a metal fence (er…check?), and Shadow was smack in the middle of it all (what the hell they really don't ever patrol this place do they?). He was leaning against the fence with his back towards me, not really doing anything. I could make out a weird spiral symbol on his jacket, and a couple of red streaks in his hair. Average height, average build. Spiky hair; looks like mine only black. I'd say he was your average, everyday student whose favorite colors happens to be red and black.

I don't even know why this image I got from peeking out the doorway was so…

_bothering _could be a word to describe it. It's not that leaning on a fence and staring out into the driveway is strange or anything. I see people do that all the time. It's just that, they usually enjoy the air and the scenery together, you know, with other people.

I wonder what kind of friends he had before he moved here.

Suddenly, I didn't feel like walking in there anymore. Even as I stood there, on the other side of the door, part of me felt like I was interrupting something important to him. And I barely know the guy! I've never even seen his face or talked to him or anything! The roof was definitely not his property, and I was definitely not a trespasser, so why did I turn on back towards the stairs without a second thought?

* * *

_~Later_

The good news is: I don't have a brain tumor. The nurse just told me so a minute ago, in a very irritated tone.

The bad news is: They keep on pestering me to go back to class, that there's nothing wrong with me, and that it's rude to pull a such a silly prank. What the hell, I was not kidding about this! Dead serious, in fact. They would not believe me.

…Is this what it feels like to be Knuckles? Oh, man.

But I managed to convince them to let me stay in the waiting room until the period ends.

Stomach cramps. What can you do, aye?

* * *

_TBC definitely._

_This took longer to write since I had finals this week, ergh. But surprisingly, it came out a lot longer than the other chapters (hope you all like that!). Silver fans, you either love me or hate me for that…particularly long scene. Shadow fans, you either hate me or hate me for giving him such little screen time—I feel bad about that too. Don't worry, he'll appear more in later chapters. _

_Also, I think I might start bawling because—holy CRAP look that all those reviews! I could not be any happier, you guys rock! _


	4. Entry 4

_A/N – It's been mentioned briefly before, but I hope you're all aware that this is a Sonadow fic. As in, Sonic/Shadow. MalexMale and all that. Er, carry on._

* * *

_~Wednesday, March 9_

Oh god, why did Eggman have to move his classroom to the 900's hall? That's the hall I tread through at least three times a day! And needing more room for lab equipment is the worst excuse I've ever heard. More like he did it on purpose because he wants to get back at me for that hellish year I gave him (like he does every week, only more subtly). What a way to start the day. I suppose it's too late to try and "unhear" morning announcements.

So far, as I'm making my way to Science, there is no sign of him. Hopefully I'll be able to blend into the crowd of people, although the blueness of my hair could be an obstacle.

I am definitely not looking forward to bumping into him and I sure as hell hope he doesn't try anything funny like starting a pointless conversation as I –

"If it isn't my most prominent student. What an unpleasant surprise, Sonic."

– walk pass. Damn it.

I tried in vain to suppress the twitching of my right eye as I replied, "And good morning to you too, Eg—Mr. Robotinik. Hope you didn't miss me, it's only been two years after all."

He chuckled evilly like the not-so-sane scientist he is. "Ho ho ho! Don't push your luck, you blue-haired brat. That's _Dr. _Robotnik to you."

"Alright. If you insist, Dr. _Robuttnik_," I said, cocking up a grin, "So what up with the big move? Couldn't find any more space to store your massive ego?"

And you know what he did next? He applauded, like I just pulled a white rabbit out of my back pocket.

"What rich words, coming from the likes of you." Alright, I'll admit he got me there.

"Touché." I shrugged, and then took a peek into the little window of his new classroom. From the looks of things, his class was getting more chaotic with each passing second.

"Well, you better get back to teaching the class how to blow up some more machines. I gotta run. Smell ya later, Eggy!" Wasting no time, I charged away, only able to catch this creepy glint that flickered across his glasses. I swear it does that no matter how bad the lighting is. Probably programmed it himself, the freak.

And if I learned anything from those days of cat and mouse, it's that a glint of the shades means trouble.

(It's a bit disheartening that Knuckles still doesn't get this concept, after all those schemes he was tricked into.)

Note to self: Send a death threat to Eggman complete with a googled picture of scrambled eggs and ketchup attached. That ought to teach him to not mess with me.

* * *

_~Later_

Law and Order sure is a cool elective. I learned a bunch of useful things today, like if I kicked Eggman in the balls in an act of self-defense, he can't sue me. All my problems are solved! It can't get any better than this!

* * *

_~Later_

Knuckles said I'm just using that as an excuse to be idiotic, which in turn would land me in prison, so I'm also considering kicking _him_ in the balls later.

* * *

_~5 Minutes later_

Uh, I change my mind. Knuckles' fists might send me straight to the hospital for the next 6 months…so it's only rational that I don't do that.

As for Eggman, there doesn't seem to be any suspicious activity going on. I thought I saw some freshmen near the locker rooms pointing at me, but that's not really worth mentioning. They're probably making chitchat about how I'm going to lap everyone a billion times during the mile run without breaking a sweat. I can hardly wait for gym, by the way.

* * *

_~Later_

Well, 4th period gym came and went. Everything went according to plan, except, an irritating thing kept happening. I don't know why I'm so annoyed, actually. Not only were those couple of freshmen looking at me funny, the whole time I was jogging, there were dozens of eyes drilling into my back. And I'm certain I didn't imagine Vector making a weird face as I passed him.

My paranoia leads me to think that this is part of Eggman's scheme or something. But how could he have so much influence in such a short period of time? Could he have gained access to the texting network by hacking? Or implanted computer chips in every student's brain? Oh my god, they're really zombies being brainwashed into spying on me, then acting normal to coax me into a false sense of security, and then who knows what the devil they'll –

Whoa, just take a breather there, Sonic. You're thinking too hard about this. This whole mess will blow over in no time.

* * *

_~Later_

It's been two periods already, and the funny stares are getting worse! I am starting to lose my patience with these people and their obsession with rumors. After class, I signaled for Knuckles to meet me near the History classroom as he was gathering up his books.

He raised an eyebrow in question, but nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

I checked the hallway for potential eavesdroppers, and waited for him to catch up.

"Knuckles, do you know why people are acting like a bunch of weirdos? Is it because I did something?" I whispered, careful to observe the few students passing by.

"I thought you would have known, Sonic. You were talking all last night over the phone about how Silver kidnapped you for questioning yesterday." He shoved me as gently as he could, and sighed. "You don't have to lean so close, or whisper, for that matter."

I hesitated, still surveying the hallway. "What does that have to do with what I'm talking about? And whispering _is_ necessary."

I leaned over again, making him grunt in annoyance. "The news that you're going to cause to apocalypse got out overnight yesterday. It might have been Silver and others in your English class that spread it."

"What!" I exclaimed, "They meant that? As in, literally?"

"Of course they meant it! Only you're oblivious enough to brush it off as a joke or something equally ridiculous."

"But—but, how?" I stammered, "No one believed Silver had physic powers before! Why would they believe some stupid, random vision he had?"

"That's because it's a prediction about you. You haven't been the main topic of conversation since two years ago. People will believe anything, especially when it involves bringing back the excitement and adventure that clings to you like glue." He rolled his eyes, and my jaw fell slack at what I was hearing.

"But I thought it was Eggman!"

"It's not, for once."

The late bell was threatening to ring any second, and I snapped out of my shocked daze in time to notice that Knuckles had already turned to leave. "H-hey, wait!" I called without thinking, "Do _you_ think the world's going to end because of me?"

He didn't stop walking, but he gave me a shrug, "Who knows. Only you're crazy enough to make it work."

And on cue, the bell rang, forcing me to go to class without replying.

* * *

_~1 Minute later_

Okay, what was that suppose to mean, Knuckles?

* * *

_~Later_

He did that on purpose. Now I can't concentrate on this damned History quiz.

And my stomach is hurting for some reason.

* * *

_~Later_

It's bad enough that my classmates (including Knuckles) are acting so weird, but this is just—I don't know what the hell _this_ is! It's Wednesday, which means I'm finally free from having to attend lunch detention. On top of that, I heard the cafeteria's serving chilidogs today. And yet, this inexplicable feeling in my stomach has been bringing me down all of a sudden. I can still feel it, tightening in a knot, making it unbearable to sit still in English.

It's almost like my conscience is running a marathon inside my head. It's not letting me forgive myself for…what? Running away at the sight of a lonely guy on the roof instead of going over and introducing myself like the friendly person I'm suppose to be? 'What happened to your confidence, your ability to stand out and do the right thing?' it taunted without stopping. I had half a mind to slap myself in public, sanity be damned.

This is stupid. I shouldn't be wishing to explode from this horrible, lurching feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Speaking of explosions…didn't Blaze mention something about them too? Maybe they were right. Maybe I really _am_ going to cause the apocalypse.

And at this rate, I fear the world is going to end before I get to eat my last meal. FML.

* * *

_~Later_

For the fate of the world and my stomach (more so the latter), I decided to make a deal with my conscience as soon as the period ended. For the record, I had no idea abstract things could be so stubborn.

Anyways, the plan was for me to resume what I couldn't do yesterday—which is spend lunchtime on the roof, and politely introduce myself to Shadow—today. Only then would my conscience let up with the tormenting.

I think I got the short end of the deal. But it's been established that I don't have any other choice.

Knuckles would have to live with a half-assed excuse today.

* * *

_~Later_

The entrance to the roof looked the same as yesterday. The place was full of dust and it smelled of wood that hadn't been washed for decades. But this time, I noticed the fresh pair of footprints that trailed along the stairs, up to where I was standing.

So I was right about Shadow being his own company all this time. In rare cases like these, I wish I were wrong.

Cursing my conscience, which at this point was bawling at me to do something, I pushed the door open and headed for the familiar, red and black figure leaning against a familiar fence.

Every step, I tried my best to conceal any hint of nervousness. Things like slowing down my walking speed, and relaxing my muscles, and er, breathing were more difficult than I thought.

When I made it to a spot next to him, I leaned against the fence (casually, I might add).

I was so busy keeping track of everything else that wasn't functioning the way I wanted that I forgot the most important objective of this screwed up mission assigned by my screwed up conscience.

Acknowledging the other person's existence would have been helpful…I hate to admit.

I may as well sweated to death if Shadow didn't 'make the first move,' as the saying goes. It wasn't that he really moved or anything, but his apparent staring made it impossible for me to continue avoiding him. "Erm, hi." I said, blinking in disbelief at his…were those _red eyes_?

And me, being such a loyal fan of thinking before acting, pointed out, "Your eyes! They're red!"

He kept staring. Though, the air of confusion shifted a bit to amusement.

"And your hair is blue." He replied in a smooth, surprisingly mature voice.

I was more than a bit relieved at that response. "My name's Sonic. I'm pretty hard to forget thanks to the hair, haha. I've heard a lot about you, and uh, you don't seem to talk much, so I thought maybe I could hang around with you some time, you know, get to know you more." I was blabbering pretty badly and being overly cheerful, but I saw that his shoulders grew less tense the more I talked.

"Uh…" My voice died away, having said all there is to say.

A period of awkward silence followed, which consisted of me waiting for him to introduce himself and him not really getting the concept.

He seemed to be debating something mentally, but eventually gave in to whatever force telling him to be a normal person for a change.

"Shadow. I moved here recently."

In a movie cliché, this would be the part where we shook hands and started frolicking in a field of daisies.

In reality, Shadow slid his hands in his pockets in a guarded expression. He didn't say another word and he definitely didn't offer me a handshake.

I, on the other hand, had expected—more like preferred the movie ending, which would have made things a lot easier. I raised the hand I had prepared to offer to scratch the back of my head.

"It…turns out we're in the same grade. Cool, huh?" I shot him a grin.

The fence rattled, and he was taking in the view of the parking lot and beyond, totally ignoring me.

Talk about being antisocial… I huffed inwardly, and glanced outwards, trying to figure out what was so fascinating about school property. We remained like that for some time.

It was at this point that I realized something was wrong. I've pretty much fulfilled everything my conscience required me to do. But I couldn't bring myself to high-tail out of there.

The view was boring. The conversation was boring. The attempt to do the right thing was tiring. I was aching to leave. It's just, I still wasn't satisfied for some reason. The scary thing is that I'm beginning to suspect it's not my conscience pulling the strings here.

"You're dying to leave, but you're too much of a nice guy to do it, am I right?" Shadow spoke out of nowhere.

I looked up in surprise. Did he just read my mind? No, it's more shocking that he actually talked for more than a second.

"Er…well…"

"That's understandable, but troublesome for me." He continued, not tearing his gaze away from the fence.

"Wait, you think a person being nice to you is _troublesome_?" I positively gawked.

"And quite annoying. But knowing that still isn't enough for you to leave." I can't believe I gave up chilidogs for this prick.

"Well, how do you know I'm not here for my own enjoyment? The roof is a good place to escape to. This could be a one-time thing." I argued despite everything.

He blinked, and that flicker of amusement was back. "You were here yesterday. Don't think I didn't notice your presence at the entrance."

"You – how – ?"

"Your type is uncommon, but I have encountered a few over the years. They see a person alone and take it upon themselves to play the role of the hero. Even if I tell you I choose to be alone, you still believe otherwise. Stubborn, naïve, and having full confidence in bringing justice to the less fortunate—you're the hardest to get rid off."

"You know what? I liked it better when you barely spoke." I glowered. What an infuriating guy…

His kept the poker face expression on as he replied, "Just sharing knowledge from past experiences. Nothing personal."

I glanced warily to the entranceway across the other end of the roof. "So help me. What do you suppose I should do about my, uh, uncommon type? Trust me, all I want to do is be as far away from this place as possible, but I'm not letting myself do that and it's all really confusing…ughh."

I made to sit down in a heap of discontent.

"You don't need to sulk. There's a way to solve this." Shadow commented, kneeling down next to me.

"Oh?" I muttered, not convinced.

"How about we make a deal. If I win, you have to leave me alone. If you win, you can leave me alone, guilt-free."

I considered these stakes. "So it's basically a win-win situation for you either way."

"You still get to leave in the end, but whether or not you feel guilty about it afterwards depends."

I thought for a moment, and immediately piped up. "Hey, this might actually work. So what are we competing in?"

"A race."

"Oh, cool, a ra—" I did a double-take. Several thoughts sprang into mind, such as 'Does he even know about my fastest-runner-in-the-state status?' and 'Score! This is perfect! I'll win this deal hands down!' and 'But then, isn't that being unfair to him? I'd be cheating…' followed by 'Oh, screw that! Even if he loses he wins, so what's the hurt in keeping this piece of information to myself?'

"Yes or no." Shadow demanded when I started spacing out, "I don't have all day."

"Yes!" I answered, jumping to my feet. I can't remember the last time anyone's had the guts (or in Shadow's case, ignorance) to challenge me to a race. "I'll have the track field reserved right after school, with the timer and the equipment and the – "

"Better reschedule to tomorrow morning, an hour before school starts," Shadow cut in offhandedly.

"Why not today?" I replied, put off by the prospect of waking up extra early.

"Because the less amount of people that see us, the better."

"Wait, why – "

I was interrupted with a wave of his hand, and at the sight of him tugging the straps of his backpack into place. "Good. We have a deal, then." He dismissed over his shoulder, before disappearing into the entrance doorway.

* * *

_~Much later_

I. Do. Not. Get. This. Guy. At. All.

Especially those freakish red eyes. Is he an albino? Even if he is, it's still really freaky.

This is exactly the type of guy that gives off blearing 'do not approach' alarms, and I fell for the reverse psychology.

That's the last time I'm going to follow advice from my conscience. I should focus on Science homework now—got to finish it before dinner. Thanks to him I've been reading the same stupid sentence for fifteen minutes.

At least everything will turn back to normal after I beat him. First thing in the morning, that'll be a treat.

* * *

_TBC_

_I don't get it. My chapters keep getting longer…this morning I was typing frantically because I was under the impression that this chapter would be a short one. 0-e Shadow is kind of OOC…(should have been more hostile to Sonic) but that's because they met under bad circumstances in the canon universe (*ahem* it's where the faker thing originated). Here they're just strangers chilling on a roof. I hope that makes sense. Ungh, so many subplots, so little time._


	5. Entry 5

__

A/N: Whew. Finally finished. See what a vacation and a minor case of writer's block can do to updates? Read on, then, and thanks for being patient.

* * *

_~Thursday, March 10_

I love mornings like these. When your eyes open, you feel totally awake, because there's something to look forward to other than boring old school. It's a bizarre feeling—being alert when everything else in the house was deathly silent. After the usual morning routines, I began heading down the stairs. Only, I accidentally stepped on a floorboard that wouldn't shut up, which woke up mom. And then _she_ wouldn't shut up about how much trouble I'll be in if I'm sneaking out to do illegal things.

I told her I had track practice, which was not a complete lie. She yelled that she couldn't hear me. I yelled back that she should get some hearing meds, but then she accused me of calling her old, and that's when I conveniently drove the heck out of there.

* * *

_~Later_

What the freak?

I have to be honest here. I did have a couple of stereotypical ideas back on the roof, when I first met the guy. The red and black colors seemed to point out "dark" and "depressed" and "emo" to put it bluntly, with some "dangerous" and "badass" mixed in if the leather jacket and spiky hair was considered. Also, the cold and reserved attitude might have helped. So, yeah, I'm not a fan of judging people, but it happens anyways.

So I repeat: what the freak?

What is _up _with that shiny black motorcycle chilling out in the school parking lot like it isn't the definition of badassness? It was first thing I saw when I drove up the entrance. When I pulled over in the space next to it, I could make out a polished frame, first-rate wheels, slick handle bars, a red spiral design painted on the side, and the coolest front lights ever. It was _glowing_ even though the sun was barely out. Not kidding.

I stood outside my car door, gawking long enough to catch flies.

Just how loaded _is_ Shadow? I wouldn't be able to afford that thing if I saved up my allowance until college! Hell—until retirement!

And did he just confirm all of the stereotypes I've unconsciously pinned on him?

* * *

_~2 Minutes later_

That's…a bit upsetting… I mean, they shouldn't be that accurate…

* * *

_~Later_

"You're late."

"Yeah, I know." _It's your motorcycle's fault._

"Track field's that way."

"Mm-hm." Distracted nod. _Same leather jacket, dark T-shirt, gold bracelets on each wrist, some dangling chains…_

"You're staring."

"Yes."_ …baggy jeans, red-highlighted sneakers…_

Disturbed eye twitch.

"Do you ever buy clothes that aren't red or black? Or is that the only things you wear?"

"…What?"

"Does your closet have all the colors of the rainbow? I know that sounds gay, but actually it's normal for most people—"

"_What_?"

Sigh. "Do you want me to prescribe hearing meds next?"

A suspicious, smoldering glare was directed at me. "Why do you want to know?"

Shrug. "No reason."

We walked the rest of the way in silence.

…

Well that could have gone better. But damn, I just _had_ to try.

* * *

_~Later_

W-wha…

What in the – what just…

* * *

_~1 Minute later_

I am not freaking out. I am not freaking out. I am not freaking out because this is an asthma attack and I will go to the nurse's office and they will give me an inhaler because I am not freaking out. Definitely not freaking out. Because I have no reason to freak out. Because Shadow and I did not reach the track field and we did not position ourselves at the starting line and we did not both charge forward when the trigger went off. And we certainly did not have a race.

But most importantly, Shadow did not win that race.

Because if he _did_ win, that would mean I lost. And if I lost the race, I would most definitely be freaking out, which I am not because everything mentioned above _did not happen._

* * *

_~Later_

"—onic! God damn it, Sonic!" At first, Knuckle's voice sounded like an irritated mumble in the distance.

"Hm, what?" I said, barely lifting my head.

"I've been waving my hand in front of your face for the last half-_hour_!" he growled, eyes narrowing. "What planet have you been abducted to all this time?" I blinked, and was somehow able to register that I was sitting in my desk in Science class. The usual background noise was gone. The other students had stopped what they were doing to listen in with curious expressions.

Knuckles gave me an odd look, and then asked almost with concern, "Sonic, is everything okay? You didn't even react when Amy hugged you this morning."

"Mm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah." I waved him and everyone else off. After some minutes of teaching, I slipped back into another round of mental ranting. Because if I keep repeating these statements, they'll eventual be true, right? They've got to be. For the love of all things sane, they've _got_ to be.

* * *

_~Later_

I really need to stop thinking about it. Maybe then it'll all go away.

* * *

_~Later_

Screw it.

He wasn't supposed to win! There's just no way!

This doesn't make any sense, no matter how I look at it. Nobody, not even if they're professionally trained track runners, has come close to breaking my records for _years_. I don't even get challenged to races anymore because of my unmatchable speed.

And then, outta nowhere this weird red-eyed antisocial dude (who has a sweet motorcycle but that's not the point) appears and _beats _me in a race. And it wasn't even a bigass, official competition to be hyped about. He won, and it was like nothing at all.

This isn't even about my superiority complex. The whole situation is just screwed u—

* * *

_~2 Seconds later_

Ow! Who put that pole there?

* * *

_~Another 2 seconds later_

Man, that hurt like a bitch. I should sue these architects for putting such a dumb structure in the middle of the hallway!

Now, where was I?

We were both in crouched in a ready position at the starting line. The trigger sounded. I charged at top speed right off the bat, a perfect start. The wind was swirling through my hair, my surroundings were blurring together, and I was loving every second of it. I was about halfway to the finishing line when the thought occurred to me that I should check how poor Shadow was keeping up.

Slowing my legs down, I turned back to look for him—except he wasn't there. I craned my neck several times to double-check. Still didn't see him. I was about to assume that he was very far behind when I felt something solid whoosh right past me.

I immediately whipped around, only to be met with a ghost of a smirk and a pair of red eyes that briefly connected. Then Shadow's dark, blurred form went on to gain more distance ahead. I was too stunned to make sense that I should run faster. Eventually I did catch on to that thought. But it was too late. He was already past the finishing line, waiting.

"Looks like I win." He shrugged as I stumbled through in a daze. "A deal's a deal, then."

"Haghnbla…?" (Hey—it's a miracle I could actually say something after what just happened.)

He gave me an aggravated look. "…right. School's starting. I'll be going." He went over to the bleachers to get his backpack. Another dismissing wave over the shoulder, and he disappeared into the emerging crowd through the front entrance.

Not the morning I pictured. (I demand a refund!)

* * *

_~Much later_

Where was I in the present again? Oh, right—three periods have passed already. I'm going through the 900's hallways. Supposed to be avoiding Eggman. Ugh.

But even with my back hunched and a scowl plastered across my face, it made perfect sense in Amy's logic to approach me right then and there.

"Wait, Sonic!" she called when I turned to run like hell.

"Sorry, force of habit." I said, noting that she didn't have any cameras, battering eyelashes, or hearts popping out of her eyes. Instead, she was clutching a notebook in one arm, and staying a good distance from my personal space. That was…strange enough for me to do a double take.

I cautiously walked closer. "What is it, Amy?" I glanced around in case this was a cleverly disguised ambush.

She smiled. "No need to worry, my future hubbie. The schedule for hugs and kisses are only temporarily put on hold because of the new project I'm working on."

I felt a mixture of dread and curiosity bubbling at the same time. To run or not to run—that is the question.

"We, as your faithful fanclub, have decided to cooperate with the school newspaper club. They've given us a whole section dedicated to you, in order to attract more readers." She said, twirling the pen in her fingers.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, well…that's…" _Creepy yet flattering, or interestingly disturbing?_

"And so, I have accepted the job be your interviewer." She positively beamed. "This week I will cover rumors about Silver's prediction of the end of the world! Isn't that exciting?"

Before I could respond, she began high-speed questioning with no signs of stopping—"So what are your thoughts to what Silver is accusing you of? How do you think you will cause these explosions? Or are they explosions at all? How long do you think the world has before it ends? How do you feel about Silver and the rest of the believers and how would you respond? Is it true that you and Silver have had a bad history? If so, does that mean that his accusation could be nothing more than actin out of a grudge? And who would you…"

I had to holler her name three times before I got the chance to speak. "Hold on a sec, Amy! Are you saying that everything I say will be recorded and printed for everyone to read?"

"Yes, of course!" She wrinkled her nose, probably a bit irked at the interruption. "But now is not the time for chit chat. I have a whole other page of questions for you and I've got to write down all your answers, word for word!"

"Eh, I don't know if I…"

"Answers, I need answers, Sonic!" she demanded in a no-nonsense tone. With her pen pointed threateningly at chest, I had no choice but to think fast and answer a couple of questions on the spot.

When the unofficial interview was over (at least for today), I made sure to ask, "So when can I expect this newspaper to come out?"

"Next Monday. Impressive, aren't we?" she said, giggling.

"Erm, yeah." _The stamina must have come from all that stalking…_"I should go now. Gotta be on the lookout for Eggman and all those other stuff..." I was already inching towards a corner near the end of that sentence.

Whew, I thought, hurrying away. That's more than enough Amy for one day. It might be annoying if I keep getting stopped in the middle of the hallway to be interviewed, but at least I get to give those rumors and rumor-spreaders a piece of my mind.

* * *

_~Later_

Things that tick me off:

1. Those odd stares and whispers I haven't noticed until Amy mentioned them (Stupid rumor. I am not, I repeat, NOT a living time-bomb!)

2. Knuckles waving his hand in my face where ever I go. He's going to wack my nose off at this rate.

3. Shadow (That dark thing on the floor that always follows you around—not that other thing that it reminds me of)

4. Okay, fine, maybe that other thing.

5. But only a little.

6. It's even more annoying that I can't make contact with him again (Stupid deal! If I had known he was that fast, which I couldn't have, I would've never _ever_…)

7. Oh, wait, I'm rambling again.

* * *

_~Later_

The door to the roof burst open along with my bold declaration of "I want a rematch!" The flock of frantic, flying pigeons squawking overhead added nicely to the dramatic effect.

But apparently, even a random blimp crashing down on this very roof wouldn't have faze Shadow's concentration of the metal fence.

"Hey!" I nearly yelled, annoyed that he still had his back to me, "Stop pretending like you can't hear me!"

He turned and it was like the temperature suddenly dropped forty degrees. "Were you deaf to the conditions of the deal or are you just that much of a sore loser?"

I flinched, taking a surprised step back at the sharp tone.

"Look," I replied slowly, inhaling a deep breath, "I'm sorry about not keeping my end of the deal. But – it's just – that race today, it wasn't fair."

At the other end, Shadow held his intense glare. "Are you implying that I _cheat_?"

"No! That's not it!" I insisted before things got out of hand, "I wasn't doing the best I could. If I hadn't slowed down in the middle, the outcome could have been different."

"It's your own fault for slowing down, not mine." He glowered. I cringed, dreading what would be mentioned next. "You were arrogant. You thought that you'd win because you're some award-winning hotshot." I fought back a snort. _So he knew_. "On top of that, you were stupid for underestimating me. Even someone like me is capable of hearing bits and pieces of other peoples' lives in a public school—didn't expect that, did you?" he went on with faultering, as if he had already recited everything in his mind before I came. And I could only remain in a fidgety silence, unable to deny a single word.

Despite that fact, my jaw clenched. "If you're done enlightening me with your speech, I suggest we move back on the topic of a rematch tomorrow morning—"

He scoffed loudly. I stared, confused. I wasn't expecting an interruption from him of all people.

"Trying to gain back some lost pride, are we now?" His look of scornful amusement quickly turned into disgust when he said, "Don't bother. You can't change what you really are under all that boast and ego: a fake."

_A fake._

I felt an icy sort of breath linger in my chest. It took all I had to resist trembling under a gaze that seemed to reach my core. Only after a while I began to notice that I was trembling out of anger and not fear. "How can you say that when you don't even know me?" I hissed, tackling his unnerving glare with my own.

Nothing else in his demeanor changed except for a slight widening of his red eyes. Looks like he hadn't bet on such a response.

"I know enough about you to—"

"Bullshit! You've only met me in person for…what? Three, four times? You don't even know me the slightest _bit_!" My frown deepened, and he shifted back into a cold but leveled glare. "If anything, you're the faker here! Acting all cool and untouchable, manipulating people trying to help you into thinking that they're shallow bastards who won't leave you alone—it makes me wanna hurl."

The trembling stopped, and I had nothing left in my system except an odd feeling of determination. "I may not know exactly who I am, what I want, or how I should act. But I sure as hell know myself better than you do." I paused to breathe and to think through what I should say next. "Everything I do is for real. I don't care if I lose to you in a race; I care if I gave it my all." I gave Shadow an honest look in the eyes as I spoke my final words before taking my leave: "I'm not a faker. And I'll prove it to you at the rematch tomorrow."

And all I could think about as I climbed down the stairs was the strange sense that I had also looked into _his_ core somewhere along the way.

* * *

_~10 Minutes later_

Haha, I am such a beast at finales.

For the first time ever, _I_ was the one to walk out on _him_. He was completely baffled. Well, no, not really…but at least quiet. And I'm not talking about the kind of quiet reserved for stereotypical emos. It was a weird quiet, I dunno.

Eh. That 'core' thing sounds really cheesy now that I think about it.

* * *

_~Much later_

Knuckles sent me a text right after I got home. It said: _'I checked with our Science teacher about lunch detention. She says you were supposed to have been off starting yesterday. So please explain why the hell you keep skipping lunch? I can't enjoy using your money to buy soda if you're never here to watch! …Idiot!'_

I stared at the phone for the longest time. Great. Gullible boy is on to me. So this means that he's either getting smarter, or I'm getting worse at lying.

Speaking of which—what did I use as an excuse for today again?

…

…Oh. Oh my. That explains it.

* * *

TBC

_He just went, without giving Knuckles any sort of explanation. What a goof. XD_

_Next chapter-the rematch, and more subplot-y goodness!_


End file.
